January 6, Year 6 - Rainbow Bridge

GUESS WHO FORGOT TO ADD THIS FORUM

YEAH, ME

---

The residents of Rainbow Bridge were probably used to her attitude by now, but once again, Sunshine found herself in a bit of a bad mood.  The spirits, as a whole, could probably relate to one thing - the turmoil all their loved ones were facing at this time.  But the ex-Inferno had other thoughts on her mind.  She used to think that her old lands were cursed... she had escaped from them to find a safe place to raise her son, Tuhi.  She hadn't lived long enough to join him, but she had done the best she could as a simple spirit to care for her growing boy.  She had been lucky that living meerkats like Amira, Violet, and now his mate London surrounded him, but despite everything, it hadn't been enough.  Not for her.  After what he'd experienced as a pup, Tuhi deserved to live a life of relative peace, not to be taken from his new home by the same meerkat that had destroyed his family... but this was beyond the Shadow Deaths now.  She was an outsider, but Sunshine had been around long enough to know the history of these lands.  There had been a storm brewing long before Tuhi was born, and as meerkats like Voldemort and Poison had grown along with poor Tuhi, she had seen that hurricane come to its full realization.  She had left one cursed land only to enter another.  If she had known this, she would have tried harder to make it to the Linklus with her son... Blaze always told her she was being paranoid, but she wouldn't listen.  Sunshine was bitter, and not quite on speaking terms with anyone right now, not even Lily.  The drought was only further proof to her that this corner of the desert was rife with danger.  Luckily, her mood was bound to blow over eventually, even if the bitterness in her heart remained...

Among the spirits in Rainbow Bridge, one small pup stands out among the rest. Upon closer inspection, it becomes quite obvious that this particular pup has never walked the dusty sands of the desert before; he is waiting to be born. A suspended spirit awaiting the opportunity to be brought into the world, Dimitri isn't quite sure how he got here, or even what he's doing here. Where exactly is 'here'? He sits up and glances at the meerkats around him warily. With the slightest hesitation, he stumbles over to a nearby spirit.





Wits, who just so happens to be his deceased relative on his mother's side, takes one look at him before narrowing her eyes. His golden fur is unfamiliar, but she recognizes his markings, and the red fur on his paw is telling enough of his heritage. And, his eyes... before the pup can manage another word, she gets up and walks away.




He gets similar reactions from Pinprick and Gattaca, other nearby relatives (his grandmother and cousin, in fact.) Feeling confused and a little hurt, Dimitri plops down on the ground in silent defeat. Did he do something wrong...? He lays there feeling helpless and alone, unsure what to do now that he's here.

She winked into existence just a paw-step after the golden pup. She has been here for only a few moments, knowing nothing about the world or what comes after it or the life she will have here before she even truly lives.

But it didn't take long for her to make up her mind on one thing. Edelgard doesn't like grown-ups.

As she follows him from a small distance, observing the world around her and quietly taking in the reception of the bigger meerkats around them, the fur on her hackles begins to bristle. He is being shunned. Backs turn on him from every direction. No doubt they would do it to her for the mere audacity of existing. And as new to the very concept of being as she is, something in her knows that she has earned the right to feel angry about it.

Tail raised, she makes her way to the plopped over pup and looks down at him, but pauses.

She knows a lot already, surprisingly. How to move, how to read actions, even how to speak.

But comfort is another beast entirely, and she's not sure how to go about that just yet.

"..."

She opens her maw, closes it again.

"... I am going to look around."

The words she has chosen satisfy her for now, and she sets off to find out more about the world they have found themselves in. "Are you coming?"

... Right. He should be called something. Right?

"Well... Sun-kat? Are you coming?"

Dimitri looks upward to see an unfamiliar face; another pup, like him. Perhaps onlookers could see some small resemblances between them, but for now, he was completely unaware that he was, in fact, looking at his future sister. He had never known pain, nor fear, and yet he couldn't help but be a little... offset by her body language. Her words surprise him, but it's a welcome surprise... so different from how the others had reacted to him.

...what? And now she's... inviting him to come with her? He tries to hide his excitement but isn't very successful. Dimitri smiles brightly as he bounds after her.

"Oh... yeah, sure... if you don't mind, that is..."

There's a short moment of hesitation. "So, um... what should I call you? Do you have a name?" He isn't sure how he knows what names are, he just does. He knows that his isn't Sun-kat, but he's not sure whether he should tell her that or not.

((IhopeIamdoingthisright---Pleasetellmeifnot---))


Not too far off from the two meerkat pups, a dark brown meerkat came into existence, or rather, tumbled out into existence.

He sure didn't like this rude entrance, if it were up to him, well, he wasn't certain on what he would've done differently, he's not even sure.

He looked around his surrounding, curiously, the world was certainly big around him, filled with some unfamiliar, and frankly unusual and unfriendly faces.

"Geez, what is it with them?"

No matter, since he's come into existence, he might as well take the time to get to know everyone and everything around here.
Wherever 'here' was.

Raising his tail, the dark brown meerkat pup set off, to greet this mysterious world.
Better to know where you are first, after all.
He'll probably have time to get to know everyone else in a bit.
Especially those two little pups he briefly spotted in the distance, not aware of the ties that'll bind them together...

He smiles, and that's good. Edelgard smiles back at him as he bounds after her, although her attention is quickly brought back to the open space ahead of them.

"I asked you if you wanted to come. So no." She thought that'd be obvious, but she shrugs it off. Sun-kat is a bit of a worrier, isn't he?

At his second question though, she pauses and looks down, thinking. A name? Yeah... she's... pretty sure she has one.

"Ederg... Ed..."

Her brow furrows. "... Edelgard. I think that's my name."

Pleased with herself, she looks back at him. "Was I right about your name?" She hasn't taken notice of the brown pup yet, but their paths will cross soon enough.

Dimitri offers her a soft, polite smile. Now he knows her name. "Edelgard? That's a nice name." He hasn't heard many names before, but he feels pretty special to be lucky enough to hear this one first. When she returns his question, he pauses and tilts his head. "Um... I don't think so. I... know I have one, but Sun-kat isn't it... let me see... it's..."

Then it hits him.

"Uh... Dimitri. My name is Dimitri." He isn't sure if it's the best name in the world, but it's his. Or it feels like it's his. Funny how how things work.

It's then that he takes notice of a brown pup walking by. He stops in his tracks.

"Hey, Edelgard. Do you think they have a name, too?"

So it's... not Sun-kat.

Edelgard tries not to let her disappointment show; she liked the idea of guessing other meerkats' names being a special thing she could do, but it is what it is. She waits patiently for Not-sunkat to figure out his name, and nods when he gives it to her. It's not bad sounding.

"Dimitri. Okay."

They're about to resume their adventure when a stranger appears, a little pup like themselves cheerfully making his way across the landscape. Edelgard squints at the unknown face.

Dimitri notices him, too. She can't help liking hearing her name being used. It feels more like hers, so she tries to give that good feeling back by repeating his.

"Dimitri, I'll ask him." After all, if the brown pup winds up being as mean as the grown ups, he might as well be mean to her. Dimitri would get sad again. Edelgard must be brave.

She stops in the brown pup's path-- cutting him off-- and raises her tail, studying him.

"You're like us," she says plainly. "We have names. Do you have a name?"

Taking no notice of the other two pup, the dark brown pup just went about his way, taking note of the big wide world. Just why is he here, anyway? Where is here
? And who is he?

"C..Claude" the name seems to come to him, how is it coming to him? He has no idea, but at least it's nice to know, should someone ask him who he is, he can answer them.
But nobody was going to ask yet, it seems, that's just fine with him.

As he was blissfully walking off towards his quest of journeying the unknown world in which he tumbled upon. A white meerkat pup, sudddenly, and, rather 'rudely' cut him off from his path.

She can't be any older than he is, and she's already making demands.

Giving her a cheeky grin, the meerkat responds.

"It's not nice to get in someone's way like that, Moony" he says, playfulness in his tone. "And of course I do have a name, my name is Claude! Don't know how I got this name, but I did!~ All on my own~"

He also noticed the gold furred pup who was closeby, shy one, isn't he?

"And who's your sunny friend?" he asks.

Dimitri, luckily, doesn't pick up on Edelgard's disappointment, but can't help but smile when his name is used. It... sounds good... he likes how it feels. This name, is it really his? Happy to let Edelgard take the lead, he follows right behind her, his body language much more relaxed and submissive than hers. He seems nice, and Dimitri can't help but laugh. "Nice to meet you, Claude. Um... it's probably not as cool as yours, but my name is Dimitri. I think. Yes, definitely Dimitri."

((Itsbeensolongsorryomg---))


Claude turns his attention to the golden furred Meerkat, who's certainly a submissive one alright, in comparision to his friend Moony here, not that even he's sure that her name is Moony or anything, but it felt fun to call her that. Perhaps he'll call this one "Sunny".  He's certainly as bright as one---how does he even know that.

Again, there'll be time for life's mysterious later.

The dark brown furred meerkat smiled at Dimitri.

"Dimitri, huh? Dimitri...Dimitri... Yup, I'd say it's a pretty cool name~"

Claude feels that he might get along smoothly with this pup.

He then turned his attention back to the white furred pup, and gave her a cheeky grin again.

"And you? I somehow don't think your name is Moony. Unless I'm actually good at guessing names~ I guess I'll just keep calling you that until you tell me your name~"
He's pretty sure that'll do the trick.

(( ooc: waiting for Sky, but I'll drop a little thing. ))

A few yards away, one spirit has been watching the unborn pups interact. Sunshine has been leading a lonely and miserable existence for the past year, and the arrival of pups seems to have caught her interest... for the moment. There's something different about these three, but she finds their exchange heartwarming. Her own brother was quite cruel to her, so seeing them meeting for the first time... she can't help but smile. It reminds her of better days, too... raising her own pups... of which very few remain. She continues to watch from a distance. They're so endearing... it would be a shame if something were to happen to dull that light before they were even born... or after... Sunshine's maternal instincts have been eating at her for so long, but she never had a way to satisfy them... she would watch her son suffer but be unable to do anything to help him. But now... no... she shouldn't be hasty. She shouldn't interfere. At least, that's what her mind told her. What about her heart? And that strong, natural urge to protect, to nurture, to comfort and lead?

...

It... it couldn't hurt to watch them just a little longer. With a soft sigh, Sunshine settles into the sand at her feet, not moving her gaze away from the three pups.

Edelgard's face scrunches up, not particularly fond of this "Claude's" name for her.  She already has one, and it's--

She decides not to say anything, her jaw clamping and tail lowering slightly when Dimitri laughs with the new pup.  He introduces himself, and Claude says hello. And as they start to talk, her own voice starts to feel like it's wandering further away from her.

It was easier to be brave before.  Now... well... she's not sure what changed.  She's not sure what she's supposed to do... or why there's a nagging feeling that she's somehow out of place.

But the brown pup-- apparently-- hasn't forgotten her.

"And you? I somehow don't think your name is Moony."

Oh, good.  He somehow figured that out, at least--

"... I guess I'll just keep calling you that until you tell me your name~"

... What??

The white pup's fur fluffs up as her legs fix themselves in place.

"Edelgard," she says pointedly.  "Okay, Claude?  Edelgard."

The moony one finally speaks! Claude was wondering if all that boldness was only when trying to confront others who are just enjoying their newfound life or something.

And it sure seems that way... She's not the most chatty one, she just fell silent while he talked with Dimitri, and while the sunny one certainly knows how to talk, he is pretty shy...

Claude's gonna like them, and he certainly loved how the moony one got a little irritated at his words. This is unexpectedly fun. Not that he's sure why he finds all this fun, but then again, another one of life's mysteries he's sure he'll solve...sometime...

"Edelgard..." he says, seemingly in thought "Edelgard...Edelgard... I'd say that's a pretty name!" he grins at the white furred one, then also giving Dimitri the same big grin.

"Nice to meet you both~"

He then looks around, as if inspecting things around him, then he turns his attention back to the pups

"Say, you two wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you? Can't say I've had any thing to tell me...What about you two? Any ideas?"